Park West Gallery

Park West Gallery is a commercial art gallery founded in 1969 by Albert Scaglione and based in Southfield, Michigan, United States, where it occupies 63,000-square-foot (5,900 m2) premises, which is open for public and educational visits. It employs 1,000 staff globally and stated its annual revenue as $300–$400 million (2007 figure). It exhibits historic artists such as Renoir as well as contemporary artists. It funds the philanthropic Park West Foundation.[1]

Park West Gallery
TypePrivate
Founded1969
FounderAlbert Scaglione
Headquarters
Southfield, Michigan
,
U.S.
Websitewww.parkwestgallery.com

History

In 1969, Albert Scaglione opened Park West Gallery in Southfield, Michigan, after being a Wayne State University teacher of mechanical engineering.

Park West Gallery has 63,000-square-foot (5,900 m2) premises on the Northwestern Highway, employing 200 staff in Oakland County, Michigan and over 1,000 worldwide. It has 181,000-square-foot (16,800 m2) offices in South Florida. Works ranges from $2,000 to a $1 million Renoir; as well as historic artists, it also represents contemporary artists, such as Southfield resident Marcus Glenn and Israeli sculptor, Yaacov Agam, who makes optical and kinetic art. The gallery is open to the public and provides a service for educational visits.

The distribution center receives 4,000 to 6,000 works of art a week to process and frame, and maintains a stock of 6 to 7 million feet of picture framing to meet demands.[2] The company also funds the not-for-profit Park West Foundation, which provides philanthropic support to various groups.

Since 1993, Park West Gallery has been conducting fine art auctions aboard cruise ships, and is the largest business in this field, selling nearly 300,000 artworks a year with a revenue in excess of $300 million. It currently operates on the cruise lines: Carnival, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line,[3] Royal Caribbean International, Princess Cruises, and MSC.[4] Park West states that it is "the world's largest art dealer" based on its volume of sales. The auctions, like shows, gambling and shopping, are a popular aspect of entertainment during the cruise, and provide concessionary income for the cruise operator.[5] However, the company's sales tactics have led to several lawsuits and media investigations.[6]


Morris Shapiro is the gallery director and has been part of the company for 25 years. He said the gallery has created a "new paradigm in how art is presented to the public".

Park West Gallery does not reveal financial reports, as it is privately owned. Scaglione stated the 2007 revenue was $300–$400 million. Half of its revenue comes from 85 auctioneers on cruise-ships, and the rest of the revenue is from promotions in hotels and sales in its gallery.

Philanthropy

Park West Gallery established its Park West Foundation in 2006, a non-profit that assists young men and women who are exiting the foster care system. As of 2013, the foundation has assisted more than 350 individuals with housing, transportation, jobs and clothing. It also provides tuition assistance for post-secondary education through partnerships with universities.[7]

Events the foundation is involved with include Jump Shot Your Future,[8] which assists 14 to 25-year-old youth learn how to pursue post-secondary education; as well as KidSpeak,[9] an annual event where foster youth can speak directly to county and state lawmakers about their experiences.

The gallery also donates artwork to support fundraising efforts for non-profits, including the American Cancer Society.[10]

Artists that Park West Gallery represent contribute as well, such as Autumn de Forest, the gallery’s youngest artist, honoring the rebuilding effort following Hurricane Sandy[11] as well as contributing to “This Bar Saves Lives;” Romero Britto supports Best Buddies International;[12][13] and Peter Max for his efforts with organizations such as the Humane Society and cancer research.[14]

In the News

In September 2008, the gallery instituted a policy where any item bought from them could be returned for a refund (less the buyer's premium) or exchanged for another artwork within specified timeframes.[15]

In 2016, it was announced that a "small piece" of a 2011 lawsuit against Park West could be reinstated in court after the Michigan Supreme Court dismissed the entire case.[16]

In 2016, Albert Scaglione and artist Tim Yanke were involved in a serious crash in Scaglione's Tesla Model X. Scaglione claimed that the car was in Tesla's Autopilot feature when it crashed.[17] A Tesla spokesperson contested this claim, saying that there was "no reason to believe" Autopilot was engaged at the time.[18]

In March 2018, Park West Museum opened in Southfield, Michigan,[19] a free-to-the-public museum with galleries devoted to Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and other iconic artists.

References
  1. Scott, Mike. "Gallery's cruise ship strategy makes splash with art sales", Oakland Business Review, May 22, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2008.
  2. Sun-Sentinel, South Florida. "Cruise ship art auctions: Britto, Max and Yanke sell on the seas". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  3. "The Art of the Cruise: Q&A with Park West Gallery | NCL Travel Blog". www.ncl.com. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  4. "Art Auctions on Cruise Ships and on Land - Park West Gallery". Park West Gallery. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  6. Finkel, Jori (July 16, 2008). "Art Auctions on Cruise Ships Lead to Anger, Accusations and Lawsuits". New York Times. Retrieved December 13, 2020.. Silver, Vernon (December 14, 2016). "Ever Bought Art on a Cruise? Prepare to Be Seasick". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved December 13, 2020..
  7. Keating, Patrick; Writer, Staff. "Park West Foundation helps youth transition out of foster care". The Michigan Chronicle. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  8. "Spotlight on the News: Race for the Cure & Adoption". WXYZ. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  9. "Oakland County Officials to Learn First Hand Experiences of Youth in the Foster Care System at Annual KidSpeak Event". www.rochestermedia.com. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  10. "3 To Do: Benefit ball, historic ships". www.naplesnews.com. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  11. "Artist unveils Hurricane Sandy relief painting at artBOX in Wildwood". NJ.com. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  12. "Hublot Partners With Romero Britto to Benefit Best Buddies". Haute Living. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  13. "Haute 100 Miami Update: Romero Britto Paints the Town with Miss Universe 2015 Contestants". Haute Living. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  14. "Celebrating Peter Max's Niche Media-Commissioned Covers". gotham-magazine.com. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  15. "Park West Introduces New Refund Policy". www.cruisecritic.com. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  16. "Part of Park West Galleries lawsuit over cruise auction could be reinstated". Crain's Detroit Business. March 25, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  17. "Southfield art gallery owner survives Tesla crash". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  18. Orlove, Raphael. "Art Dealer Claims Autopilot Was On In High Speed Tesla Model X Rollover Crash". Jalopnik. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  19. Media, Stacey Sherman For Digital First. "Park West gets bit of polish for its premier collection". The Oakland Press. Retrieved March 5, 2019.

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